Black bird 🖋️

Chapter Seven

"What's your name young lady?" the man asked.

"I can't remember." Hester replied.

"Did you take something?" Hester shakes her head, "why does everyone keep asking that?" The man lets out an airy laugh, "because you seem like you're losing it."

The man opens the closets door, and they step out into a large kitchen with sparkling silver stoves and black marble countertops, pizza stones and plates on a drying rack by the sink.

The two venture further into the building. They walk through two large, silver swinging doors which have a small window in the top. They enter the dining room which has a large round counter in the front with glass showcase boxes, fake food of pastries and pizza laced on each shelf. There are a dozen tables with picnic blankets over them, plates and silverware already placed in their spots at each one.

"Are you hungry?" The man asks. "Very," Hester replies. The man walks into the kitchen of the restaurant and looks through the fridge. "I'm afraid I've never told you my name, its Levi." He said, leaning through the kitchen doors, into the dining area.

After a couple minutes he comes out with a plate that has a BLT on it. He hands the plate to Hester and sits at a table. Hester sits across from him and instantly begins to dig into the food. "It's that good, huh?" He asks with a playful smirk.

After Hester had finished her sandwich – which did not take long – Levi took the plate aside. "Do you have a place to stay?" Hester looked down shamefully and shook her head. "I have an extra room but first, we need to not be strangers."

Levi held his hand out. "My name is Levi." He waited for Hester to shake his hand. "You already told me," She said as she took his hand. "You're supposed to tell me your name."

"I've already told you; I don't know my name." Levi rested his head in his hands, his once calm and gentle tone now becoming more aggravated and firm.

"How about this," he moved his hands, using one to stroke his chin while he thought. "Ill give you a name." Hester smiled and tilted her head. "But what if my real one is better?"

"Ill list off names, you tell me when one sounds right." Hester nodded and sat back in her chair. "Lilly," Hester shook her head, "Jackelyn?"

"That's the most random name to guess," Hester said, picking at one of the forks that was set up on the table. "Maddison?" Levi questioned again. Hester shook her head, again. This process went on for a couple of minutes.

"That's it, this is the last one and then I give up," He said. He was now standing, pacing. This guessing game clearly had an effect on him, for a reason Hester couldn't quite gather.

"Is it . . . Hester?" Hesters eyes lit up, the name sounded right. Had it been her name? She wasn't sure, but she did know she liked it. "That's the one." Levi said softly, gazing at her expression which was one of certainty and a bit of joy as she finally found some knowledge of what she'd forgotten.

"What were you running from?" Hester looked over at him, a strange feeling of guilt riddling over her, making her feel nauseous. "I don't know," She responded.

"You really are clueless," he stood up and took the now-empty plate back to the kitchen. He put it into the sink and walked back into the dining area.

Hester now stood by the door, ready to leave. Levi reached into his pocket and dug around for a moment, pulling out a key loop with five. He used the small silver one to lock up the shop once they left.

Three of the four other keys looked normal but the fourth one was a large red key that looked like it'd been handcrafted in someone's garage. The top of it looked like it'd been made from a coin and then connected to a key piece. It was a thick key; it wouldn't fit a normal lock.